Rising industry star George Rohac, who has been Oni’s Director of Business Development, and founder of Benign Kingdom, is moving on to become Director of Business Development for What Pumpkin Studios, the merchandise end of fantastically popular webcomic Homestuck. Rohac was recently instrumental in running the $2.4 million Kickstarter for a Homestuck game, so you can see where he’d be handy to have around.

Homestuck creator Andrew Hussie has taken some time off from the webcomic MS Paint Adventures to work on the game and animation, so Rohac will be busy.

Rohac joined Oni in 2010, and was instrumental in helping them through Scott Pilgrim Mania and many other successes, including publishing Penny Arcade and Double Fine Action Comics. “George is going to be extremely missed. His ideas and work ethic helped further progress Oni Press as one the best independent publishers in the industry,” said president and publisher Joe Nozemack in a statement.

Oni Press Editor-in-Chief James Lucas Jones added, “We have had many successes because of George and for that we are grateful. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to hearing more about his endeavors.”

Heidi MacDonald is the founder and editor in chief of The Beat. In the past, she worked for Disney, DC Comics, Fox and Publishers Weekly. She can be heard regularly on the More To Come Podcast. She likes coffee, cats and noble struggle.

Comments

At first I wasn’t sure who was going to what. Despite a friend always talking about Homestuck, I forgot for a koment Hussie is the one behind it. So an Oni editor is leaving to take on the webcomic giant? Huh. Sign of the times. And hearing how giant Homestuck is, good for him. I swear this thing is as big as My Little Pony and it isn’t some old brand, it is a crazy creator owned web comic. One time another friend and I were in a local comic shop and someone called in asking for Homestuck comics. The cleark had never heard of it. We told her that it was a we comic.

Aside from Bronies, Homestuck is another huge fanbase blittering internet forums. Plus Donald Glover was killed saving the universe and Mrs Butterworth was involved. Yeah. I don’t get it either and I am too scared to look into it. My friend avoided it, but now he is an obsessive fan. I think it may be like some zombie plauge.